Drywall exterior corner simultaneous setting and wiping tool

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a tool for use with drywall exterior paper-faced metal corner bead application which sets and wipes the corner bead in one motion. It is a roller tool having equal number wheels on each side of a rigid frame bent vertically on an axis to the angle desired. The tool has a wiping device attached to the top of the rigid frame that is also bent vertically along the same axis which has a wiping edge that extends past the edge of the wheels that makes contact with the wall board during use and feathers the excess joint compound after the corner bead has been set by the wheels. This invention has a hollow socket on the back for a ball-shaped connector which is what gives the operator the control needed to operate the tool in the proper direction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Non-Provisional Utility patent application is being filed inreference to a Provisional Application for a patent which I, MichaelJason Carpenter, earlier filed for the same invention from which I wouldlike the benefit of the earlier filing date. The application Number andFiling date are:

61/343,504 Apr. 30, 2010 Michael Jason Carpenter

Other related patent applications are as follows:

4,767,297 Aug. 30, 1988 Mower et al. 5,010,618 Apr. 30, 1991 Croft5,203,954 Apr. 20, 1993 Moore 5,368,461 Nov. 29, 1994 Murphy 5,544,384Aug. 13, 1996 Forselius et al. 6,450,232 Sep. 17, 2002 Smythe Jr.6,869,492 Mar. 22, 2005 Kooistra 2007/0261334 Nov. 15, 2007 ConboyD583839S Dec. 30, 2008 Rosso et al. D599831 Sep. 8, 2009 Rosso et al.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of drywall. More particularly, thepresent invention is in the technical field of drywall finishing and isa tool used for the installation of paper-faced metal outside corners,known as corner bead.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is a common practice to use gypsum drywall board to cover interiorwalls and ceilings in modern construction. This process consists ofscrewing, or nailing, the gypsum boards to studs of the building. Ittakes numerous sheets of gypsum board, with the edges butted firmlytogether, to cover the desired area. These seams must be taped andfinished with joint compound to achieve the desired smooth look. For theflat seams and the interior corners of the walls and ceilings, jointtape with a thin layer of joint compound is applied usually using adrywall tool referred to as a banjo. The tape is then wiped with adrywall knife, forcing out the excess joint compound, leaving itrelatively smooth and flat. Two more coats of joint compound are thentypically feathered over the tape making the wall appear smooth.

When the gypsum boards meet forming an exterior corner, special metalcorners are installed covering the entire length of the seam. Thesespecial metal corners are thin lengths of metal that are bent to thesame angle as the drywall corner, and extend an inch on each side of thecorner. The edges of the metal corner have paper glued to them. Thispaper covers, and extends an inch past, the metal part of the corner.The paper edge is what holds the metal corner in place, when it is setusing joint compound. Joint compound can be applied one of two ways. Thefirst way is to apply it with a taping knife directly to the edges ofthe corner where the corner bead is to be installed. The second way isto apply the joint compound with a hopper, which, when corner bead isforced through it, leaves a uniform amount of joint compound on thecorner bead itself. The corner bead can then be pressed on the corner byhand. Next, a common roller tool, which has freely rotating wheels andis angled so that it fits the outside corner, is pushed along the lengthof the corner bead. This sets the corner bead while forcing out theexcess joint compound. The excess joint compound then forms a ridge thatmust be wiped clean with a taping knife. After the corner bead dries, itis ready for the two finishing coats of joint compound.

The process of installing the corner bead has many steps making it atime-consuming process. This new roller tool technology will reduce thenumber of steps involved in installing the corner bead and, as a result,will greatly reduce the amount of time required for it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an outside corner roller device consisting oftwo main parts: a roller device that sets the corner bead into the jointcompound, and a wiping device that feathers the excess joint compound.This is done in the same motion. This invention is generally used with aseparate tool that applies a controlled amount of joint compounddirectly on the piece of corner bead, or on the outside corner of thedrywall itself. On each side of the invention, a screw is locatedslightly below the wiping edge of the blade. These screws can betightened, or loosened, to achieve the desired feathering of the excessjoint compound. This leaves the corner bead ready for the two finishingcoats of joint compound.

Another feature of this invention is the hollow ball connector locatedon the backside. This connector is very important to the inventionbecause it allows the invention to be attached to a pole that has aball-end, making it possible to control what direction the invention isfacing. For example, if you are installing a vertical piece of cornerbead, you can put the invention on the desired length ball-ended poleand, with the wiping edge of the invention at the top of the cornerbead, move the invention down the corner, setting the corner bead andwiping the joint compound as it goes. When the invention gets half waydown the corner, you can turn it upside down by rotating the pole thatit is connected to. The wiping edge will then be at the bottom of thecorner and you can move the invention up the corner, setting the cornerbead and wiping the rest of the joint compound. It is vital that thisinvention be used in the proper direction and the ball connector is thekey to that control. Other drywall tools also utilize the same type ofball connector. This means that you will only need one pole to use manydifferent tools. This also gives you the ability to choose what lengthof pole you wish to use with this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a view of the invention from the back, where it will attach tothe pole.

FIG. 2 is a view of the invention from the front, where it will pressagainst the drywall corner.

FIG. 3 is a view of the invention from the side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, in FIG. 1 there is shownthe frame 1. The frame 1 is bent vertically along an axis, so when thewheels 2 are attached they will align properly on both sides of theintended angle of use, in this case 90 degrees. Four wheels 2 are usedin these drawings but any number of wheels could be used to make thisinvention as long as there is at least one wheel 2 on each side of thecorner to set the corner bead. The invention can be manufactured to beused with any angle desired. The wheels 2 extend far enough along thedrywall on each side of the corner to properly set the paper edge of thecorner bead.

The wiping device 7 is bent at a slightly more acute angle than theangle desired to be wiped. The reason for this is, when you push theinvention against the corner, the wiping device 7 is forced apart,tightly fitting the angle. This force is necessary to maintain tightcontact between the wiping edges 14 of the invention and the drywall.The wiping device 7 is made of stainless steel 1/32 inch thick, orequivalent material. The tips 13 of the wiping edge 14, shown in FIG. 2,are bent slightly while maintaining the same plane as the rest of thewiping edge 14. This keeps the joint compound from being forced past thewiping edge 14 and leaving a ridge. The angle of the wiping device 7 issuch that the tips 13 of the wiping edge 14 remain tight against thedrywall while the rest of the wiping edge 14 has less pressure againstthe drywall. The wiping edge 14 slightly looses contact with the drywallwhen the two wiping edges 14 meet at the corner. This is what feathersthe joint compound to the drywall. The support 8 is a slightly thicker,stronger piece of metal, 1/16 inch thick. This support 8 applies morepressure to the tips 13 of the wiping edge 14 ensuring they keep contactwith the drywall during operation. The support 8 also has two holes withthreads tapped in them. These holes are located on each side of theinvention. They are slightly below (¼ inch) and near the middle of thewiping edge 14. These holes are what the tensioner screws 11 are screwedinto. When the tensioner screws 11 are tightened, they go through thesupport 8 and press against the thinner metal of the wiping device 7.You can control the pressure the wiping edge 14 has on the drywall bytightening, or loosening, these screws 11. The tensioner screws 11 canbe tightened independently applying more pressure to one or both sidesof the wiping edge 14. The support 8 is attached to the wiping device 7by a bolt 4 with wing nuts for easy removal if necessary.

An angled bracket 9 with a flat base is attached to the wiping device 7also using bolts 4 with wing nuts. The frame 1 has a flat bracket 10.The angle bracket 9 and the flat bracket 10 are secured together usingbolts 4 and wing nuts. This is what holds the wiping device 7 securelyto the frame 1 of the rolling device. A variation of holding the wipingdevice 7 to the frame 1 of the rolling device is to weld them togetheror form them as one solid piece.

The ball socket connector 6 is made of thick metal with a ball-shapedhole in the middle. A spring 12 holds the ball end of the pole in theball socket connector 6. This allows for necessary control of theinvention and easy removal from the pole. The ball socket connector 6 isfastened securely to the frame 1 using two screws 5. These screws arescrewed into the holes that have been drilled and tapped in the sides ofthe ball socket connector 6. The screws 5 could be eliminated by weldingthe ball socket connector 6 to the frame 1 or by forming them as onesolid piece. The ball socket connector 6 should also be slightly abovethe center of the frame 1 so, when pressure is applied using the pole,it is distributed to the device in a way that keeps enough pressure onthe wiping edge 14 of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows the side view of this invention. This view makes it clearthat the wiping device is angled forward towards the corner. This angleis vital to the proper function of the invention because it makes onlythe wiping edge 14 of the wiping device 7 have contact with the drywall.This creates a space between the rest of the wiping device 7 and thedrywall. The angle makes the space become slightly larger as the wipingdevice 7 gets closer to the point where it connects to the rollerdevice. This allows the excess joint compound to build up in the space,being evenly feathered on the drywall, not just dripping to the floor.Also, this extra joint compound will automatically fill in any dry orthin spots along the corner bead, as the invention is moved along it,creating a very even and consistent application. When this invention isused properly, the only points of contact it will have with the drywallon the exterior corner are, the wheels 2, and the wiping edge 14.

FIG. 3 also shows that the sides forming the wiping device 7 extend ½inch further than the wheels 2. This is also vital to the properfunction of this invention because, when the wheels force the jointcompound out from under the corner bead, it creates a ridge of jointcompound ¼ inch further than the edge of the wheels 2. The wiping edge14 has to be long enough to easily wipe over that ridge of jointcompound and feather it out. This invention could be created using anylength of wiping device 7, as long as it extends far enough to properlyfeather the excess joint compound. FIG. 3 also shows a small spacebetween the top wheels 2 on the roller device and the bottom of thewiping device 7. This space is necessary for all the wheels 2 to rotatefreely.

The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation,setting and wiping of the corner bead in one continuous motion. Theinvention can be removed from the pole on which it is being used, makingthis invention interchangeable with the other drywall tools. Also, thepressure on the wiping edge can be adjusted for different applications.

In broad embodiment, the present invention is a tool to set and wipeoutside angles of drywall, known as corner bead.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one ofordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be thebest mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand andappreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents ofthe specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The inventionshould therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment,method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods with the scopeand spirit of the invention as claimed.

1. A device for setting and wiping the excess joint compound of exteriorpaper-faced metal corners, commonly known as corner bead in drywallapplications, comprising of: a rigid metal frame: two or more wheels: ahollow ball-shaped connecting device: a wiping device: a screw on eachside of the wiping edge of the wiping device.
 2. The device of claim 1wherein the metal frame is of thick enough metal or other solid materialso as not to bend under the normal pressure exerted during use.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein the rigid frame is bent vertically on an axisto the intended angle of use.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein thewheels of equal number on each side of the frame roll when the device isused setting the corner bead in the previously applied joint compound.5. The device of claim 1 wherein the metal frame has a hollow ballshaped connector for easy removal and giving the operator the necessarycontrol needed for operation of the device.
 6. The device of claim 1wherein a wiping device comprised of a metal flange on either side ofthe axis at the top of the frame and extending past the edge of thewheels feathers out the remaining joint compound after the wheels setthe corner bead.
 7. The device of claim 1 wherein two screws are locatedin the center and slightly below the wiping edge of the wiping flange ofthe device that when tightened or loosened allow the operator to controlthe feathering of the excess joint compound.
 8. The device of claim 1sets the corner bead and feathers the excess joint compound removing onestep of the process.